Thank You for Being by My Side.

How long can this kind of life last?

Su Qing'an couldn't get a definite answer, or rather, he knew from the beginning that there was no way to ensure that no one would get hurt.

She considers herself to be Seele Fulei's Herrscher of Death, and there is no longer a clear boundary between her and the original Seele Fulei.

The ability to observe souls constantly reminds me of the so-called truth.

While the original Su Qing'an could still deceive himself by using the aura originating from Seele within the other party's soul, he can no longer do so now.

The soul that belonged to Seele Fulei has completely vanished with the passage of time. Now, he can only see a completely unfamiliar soul inhabiting this body. She has the personality and everything about her sister, and so she continues to blend into the mundane life as if nothing had happened.

But it cannot be ignored.

Perhaps because this fact was so heavy, he would occasionally feel mentally disoriented, and bizarre images would appear in his dark Sea of consciousness during those few microseconds of mental pause.

--Butterflies fluttered down, scattering into countless rays of ethereal blue light. In the hazy vision, a familiar figure seemed to be giving me a gentle smile before slowly drifting away.

After fully waking up, that familiar, faint scent filled my nostalgic air.

The empty embrace seemed to retain a trace of warmth, as if to highlight the deepening spiritual problems within.

Even though there were signs of similar mental problems long ago, Su Qing'an still couldn't help but think that perhaps the child's soul had left some lingering traces in her.

The boy, unable to observe his own soul, cannot obtain the exact truth, but he can find the answer given by the other person in warmth and that indistinct smile.

[As long as my brother is happy, I will be happy too, so... that's fine.]

Unable to distinguish whether it was a hallucination or someone was truly whispering in her ear, it was possible that the last remaining fragment of Seele's soul was residing in her consciousness, or perhaps it was a hallucination she had created to facilitate her escape, or maybe the personality named Su Qing'an was beginning to gradually Honkai.

His sense of self began to wear down to the point where he could no longer distinguish between the reality and illusion of the world before him, like a nearly shattered glass bead struggling to maintain its original shape through the friction of its interlocking fragments.

The dissipation of Seele's true soul was a great blow to him.

If one were to ask what kind of death is the most complete, then for Su Qing'an, who understands the existence of the soul, it would be none other than this.

The boy did not witness the girl's actual death.

The annihilation of a soul is as fleeting and rapid as a shooting star falling at ten kilometers per second; one can only glimpse its fading brilliance, but can hardly trace its origins.

But the loss and disappearance of those fragments of the soul were like the slow fading of a shooting star's brilliance. Even though the boy already knew that true death had long since arrived, the pain of loss was still vivid, making it impossible for him to continue numbing himself.

Even so, Su Qing'an still couldn't bring herself to reveal the truth.

Such an approach would only cause Seele to break down and Fu Hua, who is unaware of everything, to be saddened; otherwise, it would be completely pointless.

However, the emotions still haunted the boy, and he has become increasingly sluggish lately. Whether during missions to hunt Emperor-class Honkai Beast or in moments of conversation with others, he would occasionally experience a moment of blankness and intense self-loathing.

The balance between the weight of death and the meaning of life gradually and completely tilts to the other side as the days go by.

The responsibilities we bear and those few scattered but enduring moments of beauty are the only reasons we live.

Su Qing'an had considered that perhaps there was no need to keep their promise anymore.

Death is the shelf life of most things in the world, and also a sufficient punctuation mark to bring everything to a close.

But the boy understood that the agreement, however, should not be bound by it.

Death is a beautiful excuse, an excellent reason, but even so, Su Qing'an still couldn't convince himself. For this reason, he could only struggle to support his weary soul and face the inevitable onslaught of the future.

A person's tolerance has a fixed limit, but a teenager will not choose to openly reveal any burdens in their heart until they are close to their true limit.

The gentler a person is, the easier it is for them to hurt themselves.

Just as the Herrscher of Death had predicted, unless he faced mental collapse and physical death, Su Qing'an would never be able to stop tormenting himself.

But for some reason, lately he has been inadvertently recalling that man's last words.

[I know, that's just how men are.]

[I like to silently shoulder all the burdens, believing that as long as I can manage, it's okay. I don't need to tell anyone, and I don't need to share the burden with anyone else.]

[I used to think the same way, but one day my wife smiled and told me it wasn't necessary to work so hard, and I realized... that you don't have to deliberately do it, and sometimes just a few words can free your heart from its prison-like state.]

You are very strong, Xiao Su.

[But... it's okay if it's a little easier.]

Even so, is it okay to take it easy?

Fu Xiuran could hardly have imagined the despair and heaviness that Su Qing'an was facing now, but his last words still became a reason to hold on to something, an excuse to yearn for redemption.

At least compared to his past self, he is not without thoughts of relying on Fu Hua now.

The truth is simply too difficult to express, and Su Qing'an finds it hard to imagine relying on the other party right now. However, this subtle shift in her mindset still manages to create a glimmer of light...

Himeko's arrival brought hope, but also inflicted the Herrscher of Death with the deepest despair.

She proposed that the Swamp Person and the original body were the same person, but this also revealed the reality that Su Qing'an already knew the truth.

The fact that he was a fake was undeniable, and his scattered hopes and amplified expectations sank into a dark abyss.

But perhaps the girls are the real Seele in some ways, because they are no different in terms of the degree of their morbidity and their weak sense of self-worth.

This led the Herrscher of Death to care more about Su Qing'an's feelings after learning about everything that had happened to her than about what she herself had experienced.

However, after the Herrscher of Death learned of her identity, she and Seele Fulei diverged into two distinct paths.

Even identical people, after experiencing different events, spending different times, and having other differences, will naturally grow into completely different beings.

Even if they are essentially the same, they are still two people with completely different souls.

Moreover, the Herrscher of Death holds a position that Seele Fulei herself does not actually exist.

That is the appreciation and importance placed on the concept and name "Seele Fulei".

She couldn't allow Seele Fulei's existence to be forgotten.

Now that Su Qing'an knows the truth, if she continues to treat him the same way, it would be as if she has tacitly accepted Seele's death and treated him as a substitute for Seele.

This was the result she originally desired, but it takes on a completely different meaning when it's based on her brother knowing the truth.

This is as if Seele herself has been forgotten, a situation that the Herrscher of Death cannot accept.

Assuming Su Qing'an is unaware of the truth, in his mind the real Seele is alive. The Herrscher of Death's existence is to continue living in place of the original Seele, so that he won't be sad and the concept of Seele Fulei can continue to be maintained, preventing people from forgetting her.

That's the gentleness the Swamp Person can offer.

But once Su Qing'an understood everything, her own existence lost its meaning.

For my brother, the very existence of the Herrscher of Death is the greatest torment.

Even if you've done nothing wrong, in this complex vortex, innocence itself is the most hurtful element.

This is because it implies that, given that person's personality, they would never choose to harm the current Herrscher of Death.

Not harming means doing nothing, and doing nothing means burying everything in your heart and bearing it all alone.

This is both foolish and gentle, yet it's also the kind of choice Su Qing'an would make.

If one continues to do nothing, it wouldn't be surprising if this abnormal relationship could be maintained until the end of the world.

But she is Seele Fulei.

Although it's just a fake, a counterfeit, it's a monster that can't bring happiness to a young man.

But she is still Seele Fulei.

Therefore, Seele Fulei's emphasis on the boy was naturally inherited, and the Herrscher of Death herself even developed her own true emotions from the false memories.

She could no longer choose to run away.

The resolve made by the Herrscher of Death that day was not false.

After realizing that she was Herrscher, she gradually understood, from the knowledge given to her by the Honkai Consciousness and the Herrscher's instincts, what she lacked besides the Stigmata material.

Although Mei didn't say it directly, she probably already understood that there were no clues to find the answer within the Herrscher Core.

The Stigmata material itself is the greatest secret within the Herrscher's body. The real reason why the brother's transplant did not produce any changes is not because of the lack of any other material, but because it lacked a kind of permission.

Mei had considered this possibility from the beginning, but once the idea was established, it would mean that all her previous efforts would be in vain. That's why she chose to take the risk of researching the Herrscher Core, trying to find other clues and possibilities from it.

The result is that his body has been eroded by Honkai Energy to the point where it is as weak as a candle flame.

This differs from the hierarchical licensing authority of the Herrscher Core link to the Imaginary Space; it can be roughly understood as a restrictive code imposed by the Honkai Consciousness when it personally intervenes.

Its purpose is to prevent humans like Mei, whose talents and abilities have tainted the divine realm, from carrying out their current actions, and to eliminate the possibility of being developed or even grafted by technology.

And in fact, it was indeed very effective. Mei, who represents humanity's greatest hope when viewed from the perspective of the entire world line, was successfully wasted a great deal of energy and time, and even the vast majority of her lifespan.

From a long-term perspective, this return is even more worthwhile than destroying the entire country of Australia.

However, the constraints imposed by this license may be insurmountable by any means for anyone in the world, including other Herrscher. But only the Herrscher of Death has room to maneuver within the so-called limitations of the license.

Even the Honkai Consciousness wouldn't have foreseen the current situation in the first place, so naturally it didn't take any extra precautions. As a result, while it became easier to observe certain outcomes, it also gave rise to a future that was never supposed to happen.

The Herrscher of Death had already come to her senses, but she still needed to ponder how to implement the specific plans and methods.

Achieving her goal won't be easy; the biggest obstacle the girl will face if she wants to reach that ending is Su Qing'an.

She thought that perhaps the way to make her brother happy and prevent Seele Fulei from being forgotten didn't have to be so complicated, but even someone who had no real self still had her own vision.

The Herrscher of Death truly envies Seele; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she harbors jealousy towards her.

Even this jealousy was fleeting, never giving rise to any further thoughts.

Such a cautious attitude towards everything is so sad and humble, and the girl's vision is so simple, even saddening.

She just... didn't want to be forgotten.

It is not that she is not forgotten as the pure concept of Seele Fulei, but as "herself".

That's difficult, isn't it?

It's also excessive and selfish; making people remember unpleasant memories is inherently bad.

But I'm not that Seele, so it's okay for me to be a bad kid.

Moreover, it was my older brother who said that children have the right to be willful.

Clutching the words the boy had once spoken, the girl slyly raised the corners of her lips, and thus made a decision that would alter the future of countless world lines.

Su Qing'an sat on the sofa, glanced at Fu Hua who was watching TV with her head on his lap, and ran his fingers through her smooth hair, whispering:

"If I did something selfish, excessive, childish, and self-satisfying, would Hua hate me?"

The little girl removed his finger from her cheek, blinked, and replied:

Would Master Su really do something like that?

His eyes lowered as he looked into her clear, bright pupils, his fingertips gently touching her long eyelashes. The girl's subsequent blinking and the way she wrinkled her delicate nose were indeed as adorable as he had initially imagined.

Su Qing'an suppressed all his inner turmoil and desire to confide, and said with a smile:

"I'm doing that right now."

The little girl pinched his waist in annoyance, the pressure from her fingertips barely noticeable, only causing a strange, tingling sensation. She complained:

"This is just pure bad taste."

Fu Hua turned her head away, and after a while, she couldn't help but say:

"But even if Master Su really did something selfish, excessive, childish, and self-satisfied, I would only feel happy."

Following her words, Su Qing'an asked softly:

"Why?"

Fu Hua thought for a moment and responded seriously:

"For you, doing things that are selfish, excessive, childish, and full of self-satisfaction is inherently difficult, and it's something you're used to doing—restraining your own words and actions."

"And although your personality has its awkward aspects, those awkwardness is only directed at yourself. So the fact that you're able to do something like this means that Master Su is taking this opportunity to relax."

She glanced furtively at the boy's face, and suddenly felt a little shy, as if she were earnestly declaring that she was trying to understand him. She added softly:

"I thought so."

Su Qing'an patted her head, pursed her lips, and said:

"But wouldn't that be annoying? If it's an outrageous act that can't be forgiven, I think it's understandable that people would dislike it."

The little girl reached out and pinched his cheek, but didn't stop the hand that was playing tricks on her hair. She thought she couldn't possibly hate him; compared to that, even advancing to the Taixu realm would be a piece of cake.

Fu Hua imagined that if the other party wanted to shackle her, to stop her from fighting, from striving, and from having her own will, she probably wouldn't be able to refuse.

However, Su Qing'an was unwilling to impose any shackles or constraints on himself. His emotions were always delicate and gentle. If such a person were to do something selfish, excessive, childish, or self-satisfied, he must have his own reasons and causes.

Her cherry-blossom-colored lips curved upwards into a beautiful arc, and moved slightly as she softly responded, word by word:

"I won't hate it. If it makes you happy, if it makes you feel good all the time, then it doesn't matter how willful, selfish, or excessive you are."

The boy remained silent for a long time. He felt inexplicably sad and wronged, like a young child receiving comfort from an adult. His inner strength crumbled and collapsed in an instant.

It turns out that even if you don't tell the truth, it doesn't matter. Just a few irrelevant words can revive a numb heart and provide invisible strength and support.

My uncle must have encountered a similar situation. He must have received similar words and felt similar emotions, which made him let go of many things, change a lot, and ultimately lead him to say those words to himself.

Su Qing'an had always thought that Fu Hua would have a very tough time, that her future would be so difficult, so he didn't want her to be tainted by even the slightest bit of negative emotions or any sad things.

As long as I can handle it, that's enough; as long as she can feel happy, that's all that matters.

Even in the deepest despair, sorrow, and pain, I could endure it all. But it turns out that... it wouldn't be so bad to take it easy?

The young man embraced Fu Hua, suppressing all his emotions, and whispered in her ear:

"Thanks."

Thank you for being by my side.